Under existing law, when a first responder, including a law enforcement officer, firefighter, rescue squad member, or emergency medical services personnel, is killed in the line of duty, his or her beneficiaries are eligible to receive certain state death benefits. Under existing law, the beneficiaries of a coroner, deputy coroner, medicolegal death investigator, or medical examiner are not eligible to receive the state death benefits. This bill would provide the state death benefits to those beneficiaries in the same manner as the beneficiaries of deceased first responders who die in the performance of official duties.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-30-1, 36-30-2